By Gina Castellani
LOCKPORT — Republicans kept control of the Niagara County Legislature on Election Day and are on track to gain a seat, with a 12–3 majority on current results, according to New York Focus. The one change on the unofficial count is District 12, where Republican James J. Slowey Jr. unseated Democrat Carla L. Speranza. In District 5, a Democratic lead of 34 votes could still move as absentee, affidavit and military ballots are counted.
The result, in a county that backed Donald Trump by about 15 points in 2024, came on a night when Democrats did well nationally, the Gazette reported. Local leaders in both parties offered different explanations, and the numbers show where each side had an edge.
The map, district by district
The Legislature has 15 seats, and 12 were on the ballot, New York Focus reported. Three Republicans, Irene M. Myers in District 1, Michael A. Casale in District 2 and Shawn A. Foti in District 14, ran unopposed. Democrats held onto two seats they already had: Jeffrey Elder in District 4 won 1,299 votes to 934 for Republican Sean Mapp, and Sam R. Farruggia II in District 6 won 1,702 to 1,130 for Republican Timothy E. Huether, on the county board of elections’ unofficial totals.
In District 12, Mr. Slowey won 2,883 votes to 2,481 for Ms. Speranza, a margin of 402. The tightest Republican win was District 13, where Legislator Richard E. Abbott beat Democrat Jocelyn E. Welton, 2,554 to 2,360. In District 8, Richard L. Andres Jr. beat Matthew D. Kennedy, 2,379 to 1,909. In District 3, Christopher J. McKimmie beat Matthew J. Chavez, 2,645 to 2,152.
The seat still being counted
District 5 is held by retiring Minority Leader Christopher A. Robins, a Democrat. On the unofficial count, Democrat Johnny C. Parks has 2,310 votes to 2,276 for Republican Russell Petrozzi, a lead of 34, the Niagara Gazette reported. New York Focus noted that its totals were checked Nov. 7 and do not include absentee, affidavit and military ballots counted after Election Day, and that the county certifies results weeks later. If the lead holds, Democrats would have three seats; if it flips, Republicans would have 13 and the Democrats two.
What the party chairs said
Niagara County Republican Chairman and District 8 legislator Richard Andres called the night a validation. “It doesn’t get much better than that in this business,” Mr. Andres said of the results, according to the Gazette. “This is a Red Wave in Niagara County. This is really something.” He said voters’ support reflected his candidates’ willingness to work hard and focus on issues such as utility rates and crime, which he said the majority of county residents consider priorities.
Democrats were left looking for an explanation. Niagara Falls Democratic Committee Chairman James Dean said he did not have one. “I can’t explain it,” Mr. Dean said. “We’re going to have to look at the results and figure out what we need to do. This was the opposite of what our national party did.”
Niagara County Democratic Chairwoman Anita Mullane suggested many county voters are “ingrained in their brains to only bubble that Republican line.” “The rest of the country woke up except Western New York. Why is that? I honestly can’t answer that,” Ms. Mullane said. She added: “I’m proud of what our candidates did because they worked hard.”
Districts and the argument over them
Mr. Farruggia was asked whether Republican drawing of district lines had left some seats uncompetitive for Democrats. He said he did not know. “I haven’t been around long enough to know about how the (GOP) gerrymandered the districts,” he said. “But it is an uphill battle.” The Gazette did not report a Republican response to that point.
The Gazette reported that Democrats held significant leads in seven of the 15 county legislative races in early voting, but the unofficial final results showed only Mr. Elder and Mr. Farruggia retaining seats on the night, with Mr. Parks narrowly ahead.
What to watch
Two things settle the new Legislature’s shape: the District 5 absentee count and the county’s certification of results in the coming weeks. Under the unofficial totals, Republicans have well over the eight votes needed for a majority either way.
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